On Royal Caribbean, do they automatically add the gratuities to your credit card....?

Question

On Royal Caribbean, do they automatically add the gratuities to your credit card....?
or how does that work...I dont want it charged to my credit card, I want to pay cash?

Answer 1

YES they do, UNLESS you make arrangement to pay your on board bill by cash. Here's how it works.

When you get to the pier to check in they cruise line will set up an on board charge account for each person in your party. If you want all of the charges can go on on account, or you can separate them so husband, wife, aunt, uncle, teens pay their own bill. Each person will be issued a key card called a SEA PASS and that will serve as your room key, pass to get on and off the ship, and charge card for anything that you buy on ship like drinks, soft drinks, photos, tours, souvenirs, etc.

Each time you buy a drink or soft drink there is a 15% gratuity automatically added to that check and your account is charged. There are no gratuities for tours, photos, and souvenirs.

The charges for other gratuities is just under $10 per person per day and they will add that amount to your on board bill. On the afternoon/evening before you depart the ship your room steward will give you envelopes for each of the person due gratuities, i.e. room steward, waiter, assistant waiter, matre D, PLUS a set of vouchers will the amount that has been charged to your account for each of these persons. You separate the vouchers and place them in the envelopes to hand to the appropriate people that evening. If you want to add more cash you can. You should give the envelope to the person and thank them for their service, but if you do not they still get the gratuity. I always do personal thanks.

If you do not want to charge your credit card you simply go to the Purser's desk and arrange to pay cash. You should get a copy of your bill a day or so before the final day so you know how much you owe. The ship will likely have an ATM if you need more cash. You should go early because the purser's desk gets really crowded the last evening of the cruise.

Answer 2

No, unlike many other cruiselines, Royal Caribbean does not automatically charge your account.

On the last day of your cruise they will leave envelopes in your room. It's your choice to either fill them with cash or go to the pursers desk and pay for them off of your credit card - or of course, do nothing at all. If you pay off your credit card they will give you a piece of paper that you can put in your envelope.

I like paying in cash too b/c we are Canadian and use that as an opportunity to get rid of US cash we have left.

Answer 3

Go to reception and tell them so.
They will return the amount to your CC and you can tip in person.
Lizzy is correct when Royal is doing US passengers out of American ports.
Depends a lot on the nationality of the passengers and the local labour laws of the country from which they are salling, be it just an embarkation port OR a season based in a country (Such as Spendour will be doing out of Brazil in December, then things change and they will deduct your tips without asking.